Vaccination Questions

[Mickide]

My 21 month old is due/ and behind on some of her vaccinations. I have purposely delayed/selectively vaccinated. My concern and question is really about the measles. I am hoping to find it separate because I do want to give her the rubella. The measles vax, I have heard it has connections to the gut. Can anyone give me more info?? I need to know what I am talking about when I talk to her pedi.. He already thinks I am nuts just delaying. She does not have Celiacs(she has not been tested yet), but I do. She has had intestinal issues since birth, and recently realized she has a Dairy allergy. I have breastfed until this month so my pedi didn't push vax's too much, but she recently weaned. Thanks!

[CarlaB]

Check out www.909shot.org. It's a good place for info on vaccines.

[Mickide]

Check out www.909shot.org. It's a good place for info on vaccines.

Thanks! But that web address didn't work for me..

[CarlaB]

Thanks! But that web address didn't work for me..

Sorry, it's .com

[Fiddle-Faddle]

www.nvic.org is also good for vaccine info.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, the measles-only vaccine is preserved with thimerosal.

If your child has not been tested for celiac AND has intestinal issues, how do you know she does not have celiac? Especially if you do, it sounds pretty likely that she might. And dairy issues are common for celiacs, as the villi (which are often damaged in celiacs) are what produce lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose (the sugar in milk).

You are absolutely correct that the MMR may have a strong connection to gut issues and to autism as well. My thought is that you should get the intestinal-issues-since-birth thing sorted out before you inject anything into her bloodstream.

Gluten does go through breast milk, so if you were eating gluten when she was nursing, she was getting glutened--could be that that is the source of her intestinal issues since birth.

[Mickide]

www.nvic.org is also good for vaccine info.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, the measles-only vaccine is preserved with thimerosal.

If your child has not been tested for celiac AND has intestinal issues, how do you know she does not have celiac? Especially if you do, it sounds pretty likely that she might. And dairy issues are common for celiacs, as the villi (which are often damaged in celiacs) are what produce lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose (the sugar in milk).

You are absolutely correct that the MMR may have a strong connection to gut issues and to autism as well. My thought is that you should get the intestinal-issues-since-birth thing sorted out before you inject anything into her bloodstream.

Gluten does go through breast milk, so if you were eating gluten when she was nursing, she was getting glutened--could be that that is the source of her intestinal issues since birth.

Yes I know there is a good chance she has Celiac I did breast feed her until a few weeks ago. I have been gluten free since I was diagnosed 10 months ago, but by that time she was eatting table food being a year old. I too have dairy issues and really thought her's was gluten issues until I removed dairy from her diet and she actually started gaining weight! We are wanting to get her tested but also have a 4yr old we suspect has it, she was supposed to have the blood screening done last week but I am having issues with my pedi... I am on the hunt for a new one.

I am needing to be knowledgable to push these issues, needing to have my children tested. I am feeling like I am having to justify my requests.

I am concerned about giving ANY shots at this point until I can get them tested. Am I right to be concerned?? To me injecting something that affects the immune system, if they already have an immune system issue wouldn't be a good idea.

[shayesmom]

I am concerned about giving ANY shots at this point until I can get them tested. Am I right to be concerned?? To me injecting something that affects the immune system, if they already have an immune system issue wouldn't be a good idea.

The past 3 celiac seminars I have attended, the guest lecturer (always a GI) have stated that it is possible for celiac to be triggered by vaccines. One could argue that you can avoid all the vaccines, have your child get the flu and the disease would still be triggered. It basically boils down to researching the options and taking a difficult, and calculated risk. There are no guarantees either way.

Certain vaccines seem to overstimulate antibody production more than others (like the Hep . I'd definitely avoid those along with those that still contain thimerosal. Oh, and FYI, it is not enough to request a thimerosal-free version of a vaccine. You still need to read the label. A good friend of mine ordered a thimerosal-free flu vaccine for her dd. Two days after the vaccine, her dd began stuttering and months later, the stuttering has not gone away. She called the pedi's office and requested the info on the vaccine. The vaccine her dd received had 25 micrograms of thimerosal. And recent studies are showing a correlation between thimerosal and speech delay. She did report the reaction to VAERS, but that isn't going to help her dd with the issues they currently face.

[mommida]

I am needing to be knowledgable to push these issues, needing to have my children tested. I am feeling like I am having to justify my requests.

I am concerned about giving ANY shots at this point until I can get them tested. Am I right to be concerned?? To me injecting something that affects the immune system, if they already have an immune system issue wouldn't be a good idea.

Your pediatrician should be doing more to help you than pushing you into something. Sounds like you have concerns that were never followed up on i.e. stomach issues and weight gain.

Do your research, make an informed decision, and find a pediatrician who works with you and respects your decision. (I also reccomended both sites. You can view package inserts on-line at C D C . gov)

I agree with your thoughts on finding out what is going on with your child's immune system before adding any other stress to the system.

[khockman]

My 21 month old is due/ and behind on some of her vaccinations. I have purposely delayed/selectively vaccinated. My concern and question is really about the measles. I am hoping to find it separate because I do want to give her the rubella. The measles vax, I have heard it has connections to the gut. Can anyone give me more info?? I need to know what I am talking about when I talk to her pedi.. He already thinks I am nuts just delaying. She does not have Celiacs(she has not been tested yet), but I do. She has had intestinal issues since birth, and recently realized she has a Dairy allergy. I have breastfed until this month so my pedi didn't push vax's too much, but she recently weaned. Thanks!

I couldn't believe when I read your post how similar our situations are. I have a 21-month old who has been diagnosed with celiac. She has had intestinal issues since birth. I have not wanted to vaccinate her since the beginning (just an uneasy mommy-instinct thing that research confirmed). I did allow her to get her 2-month and 4-month shots. She passed out after the 4-month shots. The doc said it was hypotonic shock which was not harmful. This gave me no consolation! Since then she's only received one polio at 9 months and a hib at 15 months. Two weeks after the hib, she began vomitting frequently and being severely bloated and gassy. That is when we got the celiac diagnosis. I am having the same problem with all my doctors. They look at me like I'm crazy when I say I want to wait on the vacs. My basis is that it does affect the immune system and she has immune system issues. Also, I have an article about perlactin or something like that that is in the accellular DTaP vaccine. Supposedly, it is just like gluten. I thought my docs would take me more seriously when I started talking about that, but they didn't. I have decided that they are just pro-vax no matter what. I am not letting my child get vaccinated anytime soon. I saw reactions to vacs each time except for the single polio one. I am going with my God-given instincts from here on, whether the docs agree or not. Remember they work for you and YOU make the decisions for your child, not them. Don't let them intimidate you.

[Mickide]

I couldn't believe when I read your post how similar our situations are. I have a 21-month old who has been diagnosed with celiac. She has had intestinal issues since birth. I have not wanted to vaccinate her since the beginning (just an uneasy mommy-instinct thing that research confirmed). I did allow her to get her 2-month and 4-month shots. She passed out after the 4-month shots. The doc said it was hypotonic shock which was not harmful. This gave me no consolation! Since then she's only received one polio at 9 months and a hib at 15 months. Two weeks after the hib, she began vomitting frequently and being severely bloated and gassy. That is when we got the celiac diagnosis. I am having the same problem with all my doctors. They look at me like I'm crazy when I say I want to wait on the vacs. My basis is that it does affect the immune system and she has immune system issues. Also, I have an article about perlactin or something like that that is in the accellular DTaP vaccine. Supposedly, it is just like gluten. I thought my docs would take me more seriously when I started talking about that, but they didn't. I have decided that they are just pro-vax no matter what. I am not letting my child get vaccinated anytime soon. I saw reactions to vacs each time except for the single polio one. I am going with my God-given instincts from here on, whether the docs agree or not. Remember they work for you and YOU make the decisions for your child, not them. Don't let them intimidate you.

Gosh, sorry to hear about your DD's reactions. Atleast you the have a diagnosis and know. I am at the point I am going to demand it. The weird thing is they know what I went through last year myself being diagnosed. Crazy.

I am going to have to look more into the DTap now! Thanks for the info.. This is so frustrating, trying to find a dr that will look at my childs whole health and not how many vax she has. I am on the hunt for a new one. Luckily I live in a state that is easy to get an exemption for the ones she doesn't get when it comes time for school, I am already dealing with it for my 4yr old.

Hugs to you, thanks for your reply. Take care of your girl! Do you have it?

[khockman]

Gosh, sorry to hear about your DD's reactions. Atleast you the have a diagnosis and know. I am at the point I am going to demand it. The weird thing is they know what I went through last year myself being diagnosed. Crazy.

I am going to have to look more into the DTap now! Thanks for the info.. This is so frustrating, trying to find a dr that will look at my childs whole health and not how many vax she has. I am on the hunt for a new one. Luckily I live in a state that is easy to get an exemption for the ones she doesn't get when it comes time for school, I am already dealing with it for my 4yr old.

Hugs to you, thanks for your reply. Take care of your girl! Do you have it?

I had a very positive blood test but didn't do the scope. I just eat gluten-free along with my toddler. Unfortunately, I live in MS and it is one of the few states that doesn't allow any exemptions other than medical for vaccinantion. I am so disgusted by doctors at this point...I just am so sick of them seeming to only be concerned with shots. I would love to ask them how much they personally have studied my child's disease, her specific symptoms, etc. I don't appreciate being treated like a hypochondriac mom with half a brain when I say I don't think she should get any vaccines right now. I used to be very timid with them, but after I've seen the negative effects of the shots I am not going to be timid anymore. Traditional doctors definitely don't seem to look at the whole child. Sorry to ramble. This has been a long road with my baby's health and I am feeling especially discouraged tonight. Her tTG levels are still high after three months of the gluten-free diet. Plus I deal with some guilt b/c I did not want to give her that hib shot, and right after I did is when all of this started...

[lonewolf]

My kids are older - 3 of them are teenagers. I didn't know any better when I had them all immunized "according to schedule" when they were little.

My 14 year old has been accepted to a Nurse Camp at a local hospital for a week this summer and must provide shot records. She hasn't had her 2nd MMR and I don't want her to get it. I'm trying to find some statistics that I had heard that something like 95% of kids had immunity to measles, mumps and rubella after one shot, but they decided to revaccinate everyone to catch the last 5%. I'd rather she get a titer and prove that she really needs another vaccination.

Also, my youngest was adopted from Russia, where we don't really know what shots he had - the records didn't make sense. I started him on the "normal" shots, but then balked. I'd like him to get titers too.

Has anyone else ever done this? Did your doctor give you a hard time? The nurse wasn't too friendly when I called to ask about it this morning and I'm afraid they're going to be really pushy and my daughter would want to give in and have the shot instead of insisting on getting the titer first. Any thoughts?

[Mickide]

My kids are older - 3 of them are teenagers. I didn't know any better when I had them all immunized "according to schedule" when they were little.

My 14 year old has been accepted to a Nurse Camp at a local hospital for a week this summer and must provide shot records. She hasn't had her 2nd MMR and I don't want her to get it. I'm trying to find some statistics that I had heard that something like 95% of kids had immunity to measles, mumps and rubella after one shot, but they decided to revaccinate everyone to catch the last 5%. I'd rather she get a titer and prove that she really needs another vaccination.

Also, my youngest was adopted from Russia, where we don't really know what shots he had - the records didn't make sense. I started him on the "normal" shots, but then balked. I'd like him to get titers too.

Has anyone else ever done this? Did your doctor give you a hard time? The nurse wasn't too friendly when I called to ask about it this morning and I'm afraid they're going to be really pushy and my daughter would want to give in and have the shot instead of insisting on getting the titer first. Any thoughts?

What state are you in? Can you get an exemption so your 14yr old doesn't have to get the MMR? I am in texas and it is a pretty simple process here.

You should be able to get her titers checked though.. hope you figure it out!

[shayesmom]

My kids are older - 3 of them are teenagers. I didn't know any better when I had them all immunized "according to schedule" when they were little.

My 14 year old has been accepted to a Nurse Camp at a local hospital for a week this summer and must provide shot records. She hasn't had her 2nd MMR and I don't want her to get it. I'm trying to find some statistics that I had heard that something like 95% of kids had immunity to measles, mumps and rubella after one shot, but they decided to revaccinate everyone to catch the last 5%. I'd rather she get a titer and prove that she really needs another vaccination.

Also, my youngest was adopted from Russia, where we don't really know what shots he had - the records didn't make sense. I started him on the "normal" shots, but then balked. I'd like him to get titers too.

Has anyone else ever done this? Did your doctor give you a hard time? The nurse wasn't too friendly when I called to ask about it this morning and I'm afraid they're going to be really pushy and my daughter would want to give in and have the shot instead of insisting on getting the titer first. Any thoughts?

The inherent problem with drawing titres is that it can be expensive, insurance companies may not cover it and ultimately, they may not be accurate. A childhood friend of mine recently started working at a local hospital as a phlebotomist (sp?). He had chicken pox as a child but no official dx from his pediatrician. He was told he needed to get the vaccine and to avoid it, he had the titres drawn to prove he was immune. The tests came up negative! He ended up having to get the vaccine anyway.

The trouble with working in hospitals is that they have an agenda. And vaccines are a big part of that agenda. Chances are, even if you do the titres, they'll insist upon more vaccines.

That being said, I don't think that drawing titres is a useless endeavor. I just don't know if it will pan out as far as exempting your dd from the vaccines they want for camp. You are correct in that 95% of children who receive MMR develop antibody response with the first dose. It may be a good thing to know where your dd stands with this.

HTH

[Fiddle-Faddle]

YOur pediatrician ought to be able to write you a scrip to take to any lab and get blood drawn for a titre. Insurance OUGHT to cover a titre, and you can call the insurance company and point out to them that they would be liable to cover treatment for any autoimmune disorder caused by a vaccine (which they would also have to pay for)! And if you provide them with something IN WRITING (a paper trail) stating family history of vaccine reactions, and they won't draw blood for a titre, but insist that you need another MMR, they are opening themselves up to a lawsuit, and they know it.

It also shouldn't be too expensive to pay out of pocket for a titre. If it comes up positive, you do NOT need another shot!